Isiguzo Christopher, President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has described the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) as the saving grace of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Christopher, in a statement signed Ebikwo Benn, director, public affairs TETFund on Tuesday reiterate the support of the Union to the intervention activities of the Fund adding that without the intervention efforts of TETFund, most of the institutions would have no physical infrastructure to carry out any meaningful learning and teaching activities.
Urging TETFund to sustain its tempo for developments in all beneficiary institutions, the NUJ President said that the mandate of the Fund was apt and that the leadership brought to bear in the day to day running of the agency was commendable and should be sustained.
“Without the interventions of TETFund, it would have been another story. It is not what we are seeing where people are studying under trees. TETFund is holding a very strategic role in the development of infrastructure to facilitate teaching and learning and we are very happy, nobody is learning under the tress or dilapidated structures”.
“The Defender Magazine is our own voice, we don’t want to rely on other medium for own stories or showing what we are doing or even in pointing out those doing well. The Magazine will be available and have wide reach. We call on TETFund to partner with the NUJ not only
through the Magazine but other areas and we assure TETFund of the support of the Union in all its activities” he added.
Abdullahi Bichi Baffa , the Executive Secretary, in his response thanked the NUJ President and his team for the visit, describing the Union as a very strategic and major stakeholder in all the activities of the Fund.
Baffa who described the hand of fellowship extended to TETFund by the NUJ as a welcome development, stating that the Fund does not take for granted such overtures, especially those who take time to visit the Fund and give words of encouragement, promised that the agency will ensure that the cordial and mutual beneficial relationship is made stronger.
Buffa also stressed that TETfund will not relent in its duties of working for the development of tertiary institutions in Nigeria adding that about 93.5% improvement has been achieved in the area of beneficiary institutions accessing their allocations from TETFund, this he attributed to the novelty introduction of Access Clinic and Budget Defence sessions which opened up the processes of TETFund and helped beneficiary institutions to know how to easily access their
allocations, as well as the sensitization exercise and his open door policy.
Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja.
